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Wheels are Turning

Before I start dismantling the Tesla and transferring parts to the Stretched Vanagon, I want to insure that all the Model S systems are working correctly. The condition of the battery, being the most expensive component in the car, has been of great concern to me. I wasn’t expecting much difficulty in getting it to wake up, charge and drive but things are often not as I expect. The Tesla is very new, and so far there is precious little public diagnostic information. The simple fact that a pyrotechnic disconnect on the 12V battery controls power to the contactors for the main traction pack was unknown to me, though in retrospect it makes perfect sense. I do appreciate the fact that doing things the hard way often entails more learning, and I’m certainly learning many obscure details about the Model S! It’s a good thing I enjoy learning about this sort of thing.

For this update I tried my hand at making a video blog entry, partially since so many people on Youtube were lacking context for my earlier time lapse videos and also to learn to use some new media tools. So here is the update: